A
system for evaluating the
plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial properties (PGPR) of
endophytic bacteria isolated from
Acanthus ilicifolius L., and for assessing
plant growth parameters, consisting of: a) an isolation unit for isolating and purifying
endophytic bacteria from leaves of
Acanthus ilicifolius L., the isolation unit comprising: • Surface sterilization device configured to treat leaf explants successively with Tween20 solution, 70%
ethanol and 1% mercuric
chloride, •
Grinding device for homogenizing leaf tissue with
phosphate buffer solution, • Incubation chamber configured for the cultivation of bacterial colonies on
nutrient agar at 37°C; b) a characterization unit for the morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization of isolated
bacteria, wherein the characterization unit comprises the following: • Equipment for
Gram staining, • Equipment for biochemical tests for performing the indole test, the
methyl red test, the citrate utilization test, the H2S production test, the
gelatin hydrolysis test, the
starch hydrolysis test and the
catalase test, and •
Molecular analysis equipment configured for 16S rRNA sequencing, including
DNA isolation apparatus, PCR thermocycler and
DNA sequencer; c) an optimization unit configured to analyze the culture conditions for maximum
bacterial growth at different temperatures and pH values, the optimization unit comprising a
colorimeter configured to measure
absorbance at 610 nm to generate
bacterial growth curves; d) a PGPR property evaluation unit for assessing the
plant growth-promoting potential of isolated
bacteria, wherein the PGPR property evaluation unit comprises the following: •
Testing equipment for indole-3-
acetic acid (IAA) production using the Salkowski
color test, • Test apparatus for
phosphate solubilization using the Pikovskaya medium • Devices for testing
siderophore production using chromazurol S-
agar (CAS
agar) and • Test apparatus for the activity of 1-amino-1-
cyclopropane-1-
carboxylate (ACC) deaminase using Dworkin and Foster minimal salt medium; and e) a
plant growth evaluation unit configured for
in vitro analysis of the effects of bacterial inoculum on
plant growth parameters such as
stem length,
root length, leaf length and
chlorophyll content.